Friends Stick Together

  I could stand it no longer.  Being cooped up is not for me.  I decided to brave the cold and take a good long hike about the place.  Mr. PJ, the old dog, decided to decline the offer of a two hour walk and preferred his cozy bed.  I, on the other hand, needed to escape the confines of the Little Bayou House and breathe.  I stoked the woodstove, closed down the damper and donned the jacket.  I was out of here!

  To kill two birds with one stone (as if I was ever inclined to kill a bird), I headed far back behind the house and into the woods.  Combining a hike and chores is always a good thing!  A couple of days earlier, I had spied some logs that would make great firewood.  Those were hauled to the house to be cut.  Then, I was free to head to the marshes and pier.  Not much was happening at the marsh edge but the mudflats by the pier were full of activity.  Five birds were feeding along the shallows and put on quite the show.  One Great Blue Heron, three Tri-colored Herons and one Snowy Egret performed an exquisite ballet while trying to catch small minnows.  The Great Blue kept his distance from the others but the Tri-colors and Snowy worked together to catch their prey.  It seemed that one Tri-color was particularly fond of hunting with the Snowy and never let much distance get between them. 

 

  The birds used a rather unusual tactic to flush the minnows.  They would sort of hop, skip and pounce instead of using a stealth approach.  All four of the smaller birds were using this technique.  One would spread its wings as if to take off in flight, make a mere "hop" into the air, land a few feet away and then bob for the kill.  The Tri-color and Snowy seemed to be collaborating their methods and sharing their take.  It was a rather unique experience to sit and watch this show.  

  The shorebirds are taking full advantage of the winter tides and are working the mudflats to their advantage.  With the low, low tide, the flats are extensive giving the birds a wider choice of hunting grounds.  They need this extra nutrition to survive the bitter cold that we have had this week.  It seems that the struggle for survival has made friends out of strangers.  Seeing the birds all working for a common goal sure made me wish that people would do the same.  No wonder I love my critter friends so much.